1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to walkers or devices for the training of infants learning to walk. Even more particularly the present invention relates to an improved, safe walker for training small infants to walk wherein a large base of rectangular or square configuration is connected to an upper spaced apart second ring of much smaller diameter which confines the torso of the infant). The two rings are connected by inclined adjustable struts.
There are a number of devices which relate to the training of the infant to walk. Various commercially available walkers for infants include the "Tot Wheels" baby walker from Graco Children's Products, Inc., of Elverson, Pa., the "Wonder Walker" also sold by Graco, and the "Fun-A-Round" manufactured by Strolee Corporation of Rancho Dominquez, Calif. Additional models includes the "Star Coupe Walker" manufactured Century Products. Many of these devices are wheeled, having a seat which the infant sit upon. Some of the devices allow the infant to stand and walk as an alternative means of moving the device about. Unfortunately, the wheeled devices can be quite dangerous, because the infant can move rapidly across a surface such as a floor by pushing against the ground rather than by walking. These devices are hazardous because an infant can quickly propel the device toward a stairway for example before an adult can stop an accident. Further, such wheeled devices discourage the infant from moving about by walking. Rather the infant merely pushes against the ground with his foot while assuming a sitting position in order to propel himself about the house.
The present invention provides an improved training device for infants, which allows the child to sit but which encourages the infant to walk so that he does move the device across the floor unless he in fact is walking with it. The apparatus includes a pair of spaced apart rings including a lower ring which is large and an upper ring which is smaller. The upper ring is sized slightly larger in cross-sectional dimension and the torso of the infant. The lower ring is much larger, having a cross-sectional dimension of approximately twice that of the upper ring. A plurality of inwardly inclined struts connect the upper and lower rings so that the upper ring is positioned concentrically within the lower ring, but in an elevational plane above the plane defined by the lower ring. In the preferred embodiment of the invention both rings are square, however, other ring configurations could be provided. The upper ring includes a small diameter cross-section which can be easily gripped by the infant such as during walking with the device.